1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to amphibious scuba assist devices. More particularly, it concerns such devices for use in making beach entry scuba dives by assisting the diver to transport scuba tanks and other diving gear across a beach or like land area and into the water where the device serves as a floating work platform and dive flag holder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While many submarine dives performed using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) are made from boats, it is also conventional to make such dives from beaches or other land areas (beach entry dives). Normally, such dives involve transport of scuba tanks and other dive gear in an automobile or like transport as close to the water's edge as possible. Frequently, the automobile can not be driven closer than several hundred meters to the water so the diver is then required to carry the tanks and other gear over the beach to the water. Usually, the other gear will include a float from which a signal flag may be flown above the area where the beach entry dive is being performed. The present invention provides amphibious caddy devices to assist in the beach transport of scuba gear across a beach or other land area and then to further serve as a floating platform to support a signal flag and provide other assistance to the scuba diver at the offshore dive location.
There is often a need to transport many different type objects across beaches or other land areas, boats being a prime example. In order to make such transport tasks easier to perform, various forms of object movers have been devised, e.g., sleds, wheeled trailers and inflated roller devices (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,754,772; 4,127,281 and 4,243,239). The present invention uses inflated rollers to create a new form of beach transport devices that serve the additional function of an offshore floating platform.